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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982708">What Are We?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stuck In A Closet [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Walking Dead (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkwardness, M/M, Rick introduces his kids to Negan, Smug Negan, Stubborn Carl, Stubborn Rick, Sweet Judith, part 4!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:02:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rick finally introduces Negan to his kids! Judith likes Negan, but Carl's a bit more stubborn and wary.</p><p>Rick has a question for Negan, and Negan is… hesitant.</p><p>Carl tells Rick some odd stuff about Negan, and that makes Rick confused and distant.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Negan &amp; Judith Grimes, Rick Grimes &amp; Carl Grimes, Rick Grimes &amp; Judith Grimes, Rick Grimes/Negan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stuck In A Closet [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What Are We?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Okay… so… guys?" Rick's currently talking to his kids, Carl and Judith, of whom are both staring at Negan with wide eyes. Judith, with glee, Carl, with suspicion. They both turn to look at their dad. "This is Negan. My… uh… well, this is Negan."

</p><p>"Hi!" Judith exclaims, and Negan's face lights up.

</p><p>"Hi girlie! You're Judith, right?" he kneels down to get to her level. She nods, and holds her arms out, wanting to be picked up. Negan does so, being cautious, Rick notices. "And can I call you Judy, like your brother and dad do?" She nods again, grinning.

</p><p>"Your name is Negan, right? Neeeegaannn… <i>Negan.</i>" Negan laughs.

</p><p>"That's my name, Judy." Carl looks him up and down, narrowing his eyes. Rick decides to cut in before Carl tries to kill Negan.

</p><p>"Carl? Can you come here?" Rick asks, beckoning Carl out of the living  room. Carl nods, still eyeing Negan warily.

</p><p>"Yeah Dad?" Carl asks once they're out of earshot. Rick lowers his voice anyway, just to be careful.

</p><p>"Just give him a chance. He's okay. I mean, look at him with Judy." They both glance towards Negan again, who had settled down on the couch, talking to Judith in his lap by this point.

</p><p>"Where did you <i>find</i> him?" Carl asks with disgust, making his words sound like Rick had found a dog and wanted to keep it. "In a closet?"

</p><p>That's way too close for comfort.

</p><p>"Well…" Rick trails off, not knowing what to say. He sticks with the day, not where. "I met him about a week or so… ago. I don't really remember. Then I ran into him at the park."

</p><p>"Aha!" Fuck. "You either actually met him in a closet, or… well, is that why I didn't see you when I glanced over to where you sat when we were at the park?" Carl asks. Rick nods, sighing inwardly, but staying careful. "Dad, he wears a <i>leather jacket.</i>" Rick winces.

</p><p>Yeah, he was pretty sure Carl would be noticing that fact.

</p><p>"He always wears it," Rick defends Negan weakly. Carl raises his eyebrows, making them hidden in his bangs that he had grown out along with his hair, which is now shoulder-length. The color has always reminded Rick of Lori. Carl looks so much like Lori, it used to hurt. 

</p><p>"Dad…" Now Carl's voice is soft. That means bad things. "Dad, I've seen him before. He's creeeeepy. Seriously."

</p><p>"Where did you see him?" Rick's voice is currently getting weaker and weaker.

</p><p>"In a fucking weird <i>alley</i> thing. But not really, I guess. He was standing against the side of it. Wearing his leather jacket and looking ominous. Like he was looking for someone. He was studying everyone. But me…" Carl shivers. "He actually smiled at me."

</p><p>Rick also shivers. "When was that?" Maybe if it wasn't that long ago, Negan would've known that it was Carl.

</p><p>"Dunno. A month ago. That… asshole is creepy."

</p><p>"Language!" Rick hisses quietly.

</p><p>"C'mon, he swears a whole hell of a lot too." Carl smiles grimly. Rick's right eye starts to twitch.

</p><p>"How the hell do you know that?" Carl shrugs in response, looking back at Negan.

</p><p>"I was on the same side of the sidewalk as him. He was muttering. Something like, 'Fuck, that motherfucking fucker. God<i>dammit.</i> I will get that asshole.' that's all I heard." Rick cringes back from the vulgarity of what was coming out of his son's mouth.

</p><p>"Whatever." Is Rick's defeated response.

</p><p>"Think about it," Carl walks away, dominating the whole conversation. 'Oh, I will,' Rick thinks, 'I'll probably dream about it.'</p><p>"Welcome back!" Negan greets them cheerfully. Carl just nods and crosses his arms, but Rick smiles back and waves slightly. Really, Rick can't even imagine Negan acting so fucking shady as he seemed in the story Carl had just told.

</p><p>"Hiya Daddy!" Judith giggles. "Negan's so funny! He makes <i>lots</i> of hilarious jokes. Like… I can't remember, but whatever!" Rick supresses laughter. Judith"s face is so funny; squinty eyes, pursed mouth, hair falling in her face.

</p><p>"Good," Rick answers his daughter. "Uh… honey, you gotta go to bed. Sorry, darling. But first… Carl, it's your turn to wash her tonight." Something the teenager hates. In fact, right now, Carl sighs heavily and picks Judith up off of Negan's lap, noticably cringing the whole time.

</p><p>After he takes Judith upstairs to get her in the bathtub - a hassle - Rick sits right next to Negan, and Negan turns to face him.

</p><p>"Judy likes me fine, but Carl…"

</p><p>"…Doesn't." Rick finishes. Negan nods.

</p><p>"Yeah. It's fine, though. Only time will tell if he trusts me." Negan sighs while he says this, so Rick's pretty sure he's still partially upset about it. "So! What now?"

</p><p>"Well, I have a question…" It had just come to Rick at this moment, and he's one to speak immediately. Bad at keeping secrets. So bad. It's horrible when it comes to keeping things from Carl, which rarely has to happen, so when it does, it's normally big.

</p><p>"Yes?" Rick takes a deep breath.

</p><p>"What are we?" There it is. The big question. An odd time to have this conversation, but who cares.

</p><p>"Well… what do you want us to be?" Negan's warm brown eyes search Rick's, frowning slightly.

</p><p>"I don't know… together, at least." Rick starts biting his lip.

</p><p>"Okay then…" Negan keeps frowning, and his eyes grow hesitant. "Boyfriends. Although that sounds weird. Either way, that's what we are. But… we haven't exactly gone on a date yet, unless if you call a closet a date." Wow. Negan's taking this better than Rick expected.

</p><p>"No… so, are you going to ask me out then?" Rick starts blushing as he asks this question.

</p><p>"Yes! Rick Grimes, will you go out with me?" Negan grins, but his face is so vulnerable at this moment, it surprises Rick.

</p><p>"Absolutely!" Rick answers, and they kiss once, a long, lingering kiss.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it! This was fun to make, with Carl and Judith's reaction to Negan.</p><p>I sorta made Negan sound creepy af, so sorry! Don't worry, one day it'll be cleared up.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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